By Ellyarne Donovan
I was lucky enough to take a trip to New Zealand for my family holiday in July 2023. As it was wintertime, our main goal was to see snow. At most we were expecting to see a little frost or maybe a small pile of snow on the side of the road.
We decided to take a day trip from Christchurch out to Hanmer Springs, a small resort town about two hours from where we were staying, to see the hot springs.
Nestled between mountains, Hanmer Springs sits at an elevation of 338m above sea level, expecting enough snowfall to turn it into a picturesque snowy village.
Although it was cold, there was no sign of snow except for the light coating on the mountains we could see on our way in.
As we headed further into the mountains, the sky began to disappear with only this alpine forest in our sight. Venturing on, small piles of snow began to form on the roadside and traces of frost were visible on the trees.
Noticing this, we waited for the next rest stop sign to appear and parked there, where we saw the most beautiful and peaceful landscape.
There was this small creek running past the car park with ankle-deep snow on either side and those pine trees were now covered.
It was as if time stood still. No traffic in the distance, or the noisy cicadas you would normally hear back home. Only the faint sounds of nature and wildlife.
I wanted to stay there for ages just listening to the water run. But we left and continued to follow the road to the forest.
Eventually, the view opened again, and we had the most amazing view of the mountains just covered in snowy trees and the clearest blue sky.
There were two walking tracks from the parking area. One leading further into the mountains, and the other towards a semi-frozen lake.
Of course we went both ways, but each gave off a very different feel.
The track heading further in reminded me of that scene in The Chronicles of Narnia where Lucy first entered Narnia through the wardrobe. Absolutely white and enclosed by trees.
Featured image: The lake at Hanmer Springs. Picture: Ellyarne Donovan
